Disappearing luggage-carrier for automobiles.



No. 897,664. PATENTED SEPT. l, 1908. E. T. ROBINSON.

DISAPPEARING LUGGAGE CARRIER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APILIOATION FILED PEB.11, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT. l, 1908 E. T. ROBINSON. DISAPPEARING LUGGAGE CARRIER FORAUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

I mll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. ROBINSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 'IO ST. LOUIS A RCOMPANY, OF

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION.

- DISAPPEARING LUGGAGE-CARRIER FOB- AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United Statesof America, re-

siding in the city of St. Louis and'State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Disappearing Lug age- Oarriersfor Automobiles, of which the foIlowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to a luggage carrier for automobiles and it has forits object the production of a carrier of this character which ma beconfined within the body of an automobile out of view when not in use,but may be readily withdrawn from the body of the vehicle for service.

The invention has for its object the production of a luggage carrier ofthis description which isof simple construction and the parts of whichare held in a steady condition when the carrier is in either its inneror outer position.

Figure I is a rear elevation of the body of an automobile and my luggagecarrier mounted in said body. Fig. II is a view showing the body of theautomobile in vertical lon itudinal section and the luggage carrier meevation and withdrawn into position for service. Fig. III is in art ahorizontal section taken on line III II, Fig. II, through the body ofthe automobile and in part a to or plan view of the luggage carrier.Fig. I is a vertical cross section taken on line IV-IV, Fig. II. Fig. Vis an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on line VV, Fig. VIthrough one corner of the automobile body and the luggage carrier, saidcarrier being shown in its inner position. Fig. VI is an enlargedvertical cross section taken on line -v1 v1, Fig. III.

In the accompanyin drawings: A designates the rear ortion oi the body ofan automobile at the ottom of which and beneath the rear seat of thevehicle is a com )artment B that is partl inclosed by the sides of theautomobile hotly and the back board Beneath the back board C is a crossbar D, see Fig. II, that is provided with a longitudinal slot E and issuitabl supported b attachment to the sides of t 1e automobile )ody 1designates uide strips prel'crab y of channel-shape, w iich are securedto the sides of an automobile body and extend lon itudinally of saidbody;l at the bottom of the compartment B. '1 ese guide strips termiwardcross bar 3.

nate at their rear ends within the slot E of the cross bar D.

2 desi nates the side bars of a luggage supporting Frame, that areadapted to ride in the guide strips 1, said bars being united at theirforward ends by a forward cross bar 3 and at their rear ends by a rearcross bar 4.

5 are connecting rods mounted in the forward and rear cross bars 3 and 4and which, with the parts 2, 3 and 4, constitute the luggage supportingframe that is ada )ted to be moved into the compartment B o theautomobile to be out of view when not in use and to be withdrawn intothe position seen in Figs. II and III, when luggage is to be carried onsaid frame.

6 designates a pairof chains that serve as supports for the rear orouter end of the luggage supporting frame. ()nc end of each of saidchains is connected to the outer end of the luggage supporting frame byattachment to lugs 7 carried by the rear cross bar 4 and are attached attheir inner ends to lugs 8 secured to the side bars 2 adjacent to thefor- The chains 6 are adapted to operate upon rollers 9 journaled tobrackcts 10 located near the bottom of the com- Eartmcnt B and sheaves11 journalcd to rackets 12 located near the top of said compartment andwhich brackets are both secured to the sides of the automobile body. Thechains also pass through resistance blocks 13 that are secured to thesidcs'of the automobile body and are bifurcated at their rear ends toreceive the chains. These resistance blocks serve to relieve the sheaves11 of strain when a weight is imposcd upon the frame of the luggagecarrier. The chains also 0 )eratc upon shcavcs 14 mounted in the backcard C near its upper edge.

When the frame of the luggage carrier is moved into its outer ositionfor service the chains 6 ride upon tie rollers and sheaves mentioned andthe existence of slack in said chains is obviated by the continualpresence of the chains u on said rollers and within the resistance blocs 13, and as a consequence, the chains are in position to serve assupporting members for the outer end of the carrier frame when saidframe is withdrawn from the automobile body. When the frame is againmoved inwardly, the inner ends of the chains are carried beneath therollers t) and the chain is drawn into the compartment B without slackoccurring therein with the result that the .only portion of each chainthat outward movement of the'carrier frame I mount in the cross bar 1) aseries of posts 15 that are adapted to be engaged by the forward crossbar 3 of the carrier frame when the frame is moved outwardly intoposition for use. To provide for the carrier frame being held frominward movement after it has been withdrawn from the com artment B Iattach to said frame, preferab y by socuring it to one of the cross rods5, a keeper plate 16 that is provided with a slot 17 and furnish a catch18 that is pivoted to the cross bar I) and is adapted to enter the slotin said keeper, as seen in Fig. III. This catch is also adapted to entera slot 4' in the rear cross bar of the carrier frame, also seen in Fig.III, for the purpose of holding the carrier frame from outward movementafter it has been moved'into the compartment B. t' is a closure platethat is carried by the outer cross bar of the carrier frame and whichserves to close the slot E in the cross bar I) when the carrier frame isin its inner position.

For the purpose of preventing rattling of the carrier frame when ineither its inner or outer positions, I provide the following parts: 19are lower anti-rattler blocks situated at the bottom of the slot E inthe cross bar I) and having beveled up )er faces extending rearwardlyand forwardly relative to the carrier frame. 20 are de ending upperbeveled blocks that are secure to the carrier frame at its rear end, seeFi V, and which are adapted to ride onto t e rear beveled faces of thelower anti-rattler blocks when the carrier frame is moved to its innerposition, thereby causing said frame to be tightly joined between theanti-rattler blocks and the top of the slot E. 21 are beveled blockssecured to the carrier frame near its forward end and which are ada tedto ride onto the anti-rattler blocks 19 w en the carrier frame is movedto its outer position, whereby said frame is joined between saidanti-rattler blocks and the top of the slot E in a manner similar tothat in which it is joined when the frame is in its inner position.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vehicle body, of a luggage frame slidablmounted in said body, so as to be shiftable t iereu-nder, flexible meansattached to the forward and rear ends of said-frame, and means carriedby said body on which said flexible means isoperable, substantially asset forth;

2. The combination with a vehicle body, of guide strips beneath saidbody, a luggage frame slidably fitted to said guide strips, flexiblemeans attaehed to the forward and rear'ends of said frame, and rollerscarried b said body on which said flexible means is operable,substantially as set forth.

EDWARD T. ROBINSON.

In presence of Av DIRK-MANN, M. (l. MURPHY.

